Dagger's Edge picks up at the end of Collision Point. I read the previous book, but still felt a little lost a couple of times.
Ivan is a very strong male character. This is the norm for Lora Leigh. And who doesn't like a strong Alpha male character?
There's a strange family dynamic running through Crymsyn's family. Of course this would be why she's running from them.
Ivan is powerful, but he needs her and she doesn't really trust easily, but trusts him. They mix will together and are a believable couple. This is a great read especially if you are already a Lora Leigh fan.

I have read all the books in the Elite Ops series and I love how the new series Brute Force ties back to the previous series. I loved Syn and Ivan. Their angsty. Forbidden romance is enticing and steamy hot. I loved the jagged twists and turns that this story takes, the hidden story within a story that you dont see until the author is ready for you to. Syn lived thru so much and her love for Ivan is true. Ivan is dark, forbidden and delicious...i was super excited at this pairing and cant wait to read more in this new series!!!!

My rating: 4.9 stars *****

A fast paced, action filled romantic adventure. Quite an enjoyable read, and fun series idea. There were some aspects that confused me, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the story and the characters. I did not see the villain coming, in fact I was completely surprised. The family dynamics in this story were quite fascinating as they were similar and opposites at the same time depending on which member of the family was being discussed. Some of my favorites from book 1 were moved into not being my favorites, and some new characters were painted in flattering and in not flattering ways. Again, fascinating series idea and story!

I would most certainly recommend reading this as the series, not as a stand-a-lone. Otherwise the idea of Brute Force and how these men of different backgrounds work together would be very misleading.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this story and share my opinions!

Ivan Resnova is a force to be reckoned with. Crimsyn Delaney is not who she says she is. These two have a past that's connected and whose families are enemies yet they are drawn to each other. I'm going to first say i did not read book one in this series. I did read the other series this book is spun off of. If i hadn't a lot of what happens in this book would have been harder to follow that it already was. The idea for this story was a good one but it was bogged down by way to many sex scenes that went on forever and poor editing. I have not seen the final of this book but based on prior books i'm not sure that the numerous errors will have been fixed. I wanted to like this book but i had to do a lot of skimming to get to the parts that were about the actual story. The end was pretty abrupt and over. I have liked several of this author's previous books but I'm on the fence about whether or not i want to read another in this series.



Find out more about Lora Leigh and this series here www.loraleigh.com

Dagger's Edge (Brute Force 2) by Lora Leigh is a romantic crime thriller. The events begin directly after Collision Point's ending. Information relevant to current affairs is summed up when necessary, but there is a depth to the relationships if one reads both.

Crimsyn, on the run and desperate to escape her corrupt, powerful family befriends Ivan's daughter. Ivan is a dominant man possessing a significant Russian family legacy. Having ties to Ivan from her past, she knows he can help her maintain cover. Syn, as Ivan calls her, realizes it is a risky request due to a violent feud between their families. After a passionate night in Ivan's bed, Syn runs again with the intent of leaving Ivan behind permanently. Several weeks after Syn's escape, Ivan catches up with her. Together they devise a plan to stop Syn's family from causing more horror in their lives.

Ivan persuades Crimsyn they must get engaged. He hopes the betrothal going public will lure those trying to abduct Syn in the open. When that occurs, he intends on striking them down permanently. Syn's only requirement for participation is Ivan helps her believe the love she wants for them is real. Ivan's passion for Syn is apparent, and the love between them feels authentic. It's fulfilling Ivan accepting he needs Syn. Even more satisfying is Syn accepting her fairy tale has become a reality.

Ivan exudes power. He doesn't give excuses regarding possessing and shielding those he loves. Nor his drive to complete those tasks by any means necessary. Rising above his treacherous past gained Ivan a vast empire, which ensures Syn can remain by his side and protected. Syn has a tenacity to her. Her strength comes from within. Moments passed I saw a week woman who needed rescuing, but never so much so that I was totally put off by her.

Dagger's Edge is a great addition to the Brute Force series. Ivan and Syn were well paired, and quite sexy together. There was a great amount of mystery and suspense. I am enjoying piecing the character's background stories together. I encourage all readers to come to their own conclusions.

All I can say is wow! I couldn't put this book down or turn the pages fast enough to see what was going to happen in this steamy, suspenseful romance that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I loved strong and fiery Journey/Syn and her dynamic, passion and scorching romance with Ivan Resnova who was once a powerful crime boss.

This book is a must-read for fans of gripping, fast-paced suspenseful romance. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my voluntary and unbiased review. I liked the book so much, I purchased it for my keeper library.

I have a personal goal of not DNFing any book. I like to give books a chance. Sometimes a book will start rocky and then morph into a great book. I have never been challenged to finish a book until Dagger’s Edge. I had to talk myself out of deleting this book and sending a DNF to the publishers. I had to force myself to finish this book.

Dagger’s Edge is the 2nd book in the Brute Force series. Journey (aka Crimsyn “Syn“) is on the run from her family. Being pressured to married Beauregard and to restore favor to the Queen Mother, she leaves. She runs into Ivan, who she has always had a thing for. Besides being her best friend’s father, Ivan is the one man she wanted to run to. But can she trust this dangerous man? Will he be able to protect her?

When a book leaves me confused after the prologue, I know that it isn’t going to be good. That is what Dagger’s Edge did to me. Left me confused and going “What the heck is happening here” I reread the prologue to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I paged back to see if there was something before the prologue. Nothing. So I was left confused. And I stayed confused the entire book. I have a feeling that if I read book 1, then I would have a better understanding of what was going on. But I didn’t….so yeah.

That confusion trickled down to the characters and their relationships. I could not connect with Journey. At. All. She went between acting like a child and a mature woman for most of the book. She made life choices that had me questioning how she survived so long on her own. Seriously.

I respected Ivan but I didn’t like him. He rubbed me the wrong way. I did think at one point “He must have a lonely life.” So when he went all in with Journey, it didn’t fit in with the image that was projected.

There was sexual tension between Journey and Ivan. What I liked is that the author was able to keep the level of sexual tension for the entire book. There was no dip. It was thick in this book, which was one of the few enjoyable things in the book.

Let’s talk about sex. Journey and Ivan had a lot of sex. They were like freaking bunnies. In a van, in a plane, in a limo, the list could go on. One look and he was ripping her panties off. Which would have been great except, sex was related to pleasure/pain in every sex scene. I couldn’t get past it. Listen, I know a little pain is good during sex. I also know that there are people who get off on pain. But in this book, nothing was mentioned about that. It seemed like having sex was actually hurting her. To have it brought up all the time ruined the sex scenes for me.

The secondary plotline involving Journey’s family made me sick. The abuse she suffered at their hands was horrible. No wonder she took off. I don’t understand why she didn’t tell the Queen Mother?? Going with the plotline involving her family, I couldn’t understand why her cousin didn’t scoop her up like she said she could. Instead, she got bent over Ivan having her and got in his face. Which almost didn’t end too well for her.

The other storyline, which I won’t talk too much about, I saw coming from a mile away. Even with Ivan telling himself certain things, it still happened.

The end of the book was a cluster. Storylines were left wide open. I am hoping that is because the author is going to write a 3rd book. Minor things got resolved but all the major things didn’t. I was left scratching my head and going “OK” after the last chapter.

Ivan and Cyn's story is a hot one. Romance, suspense and betrayal. I really enjoed revisiting with some of the Elite Ops characters. Well done love scenes. Kept me reading long past bedtime.

Ivan and Journey stoey was an intense one!! A wondefful thriller with twists and turns

A hot and steamy romance. I was in love with their story. The intriguing story was one that i truly enjoyed reading

The characters were well defined and i fell in love with The powerful Ivam and the alunky Journey

I have been waiting for Ivan to get a story and Dagger's Edge did not disappoint me! It truly begins where Collision Point left off. I recommend reading Collision Point and Live Wire (Elite Ops 7) before starting Dagger's Edge. Yes the book stands alone but these characters have been interacting in stories and it will bring so much more to your reading experience. Ivan has always been a shady character. We were never sure where he straddled the lines of criminal activity versus legal business. And the woman Syn that is his daughter's friend turns out to be Journey the cousin of Tehya from the Elite Ops team! It was so great to see where this story was headed behind who is after Journey and what a strong young woman she has become after 4 years on the run from her family. And Ivan has always had such a tough shell be we knew that the right woman could pierce his armor! That's all I am giving you. If you enjoy hot, exciting romantic suspense then Dagger's Edge is the book for you! It's told from dual POV and I not only recommend it but the entire series going back to the Elite Ops books and the Navy Seals series.

So two lessons learned...
1. review a book straight away not after a month after you have read it and
2. I can't remember reading this book at all!!

So I have read others by this author, but I guess this is not one of the better book's that she has written because I honestly cannot remember even reading this! I am sorry that this is not a better review, but I can't help it!! will now always remember to write the review straight away, at least then I will be able to tell you what the leads were called (even reading the blurb didn't help!)

I didn't connect with the characters in this book I don't find the Russian mafia very interesting. Just not "feeling" this series. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review.

I highly suggest reading the first book before reading this one. I didn't remember reading the first one so I was a little lost at the beginning.

The background for Ivan Resnova was a little unclear but still highly dangerous and more likely illegal but his backstory is also heartbreaking. The Journey/Syn thing was very confusing and didn't really make sense until a few paragraphs in.

Lots of heat and chemistry. Journey's family is messed up and figuring out who is trying to kill her kept the suspense high, but the sexual tension was even higher. Hot, hot, hot.

Dagger’s Edge is the third installment in this series. I enjoyed the sexy, romantic suspense of this story. There were often times I found myself a little lost. I will say this is not my favorite series and I don’t feel invested in it as I have others, but I can see some readers enjoying it.

Dagger's Edge is the second book in the Brute Force Series. Each book can be read as a stand-alone. Ivan Resnova is a Russian Mobster who is considered to be royalty. He has faced great trauma in his life and his experiences have made him hard. Crimsyn "Syn" Delaney also comes from a crime family who is guilty of some of the atrocities committed against Ivan. When Syn finds herself in a forced engagement with a family friend, she will do anything to escape. As her path crosses with Ivan the two are physically and emotionally drawn to one another. Despite the significant age difference and the fact that their families are mortal enemies, the two come together and vow to overcome.

Sigh. I gave it a chance, but no more. Recycled storyline; repetitive, sometimes illogical dialogue; excessive sex scenes that don’t move the relationship; caricature villains; skeevy age of initial attraction — I’m done with this series. Won’t request anymore.

Positives? That Ivan acknowledged his love for Journey early on. That Journey has some spine. Most of the sentences and paragraphs are comprehensible. They go round and round a lot but they’re understandable.

I wish Lora Leigh would end the series already. There’s no need for more, especially since there’s no difference among the books except for the name of the characters. The Elite Ops was fine, Brute Force is not. Two and a half stars.

I didn't like Dagger's Edge as much as I did Collision Point. and I'm not 100% sure why not. Perhaps because I didn't like Ivan or Syn well enough to become seriously invested in their story. I might have liked it better had Rory and Amara not been completely absent. Maybe it was the creepy way this couple was attracted to each other while Syn was still a minor.

Leigh's writing was solid as it always is. The story had plenty of intrigue and tension. The pacing was good and the characters well developed.

The book was a good read and interesting but just shy of meeting my expectations.

Dagger’s Edge is a steamy adventure story, with likable characters, a straightforward but captivating plot, suspense, and off-the-charts hot sex scenes.

While on the run from her family, Journey “Syn” Delaney stumbles across her teenage crush, Ivan Resnova, father of her friend, Amara. The attraction between them is too strong for either of them to ignore, and Syn revels in the night they spend together. But someone is still after her, and since she has been betrayed by everyone in her life, rather than drag Ivan into her mess, she runs again. When Ivan finds her again, she isn’t doing as well, and is on the verge of being captured. He takes her under his wing, promising her the illusion that he’s in love with her. What neither of them realize is that for both of them, the illusion is becoming real. But love isn’t going to keep her safe from her criminal family or from the man to whom she was sold while still a child. Can Ivan neutralize the threat to his woman-and convince her that they belong together?

There are some surprises in the plot, but the real story here is the sexual attraction between Ivan and Syn. Lora Leigh captures the emotions, the physical pull, and the entire encounter with her usual flair.

Ivan Resnova wants nothing more than to escape his hard, brutal past. Starting over is not so easy once you've been a powerful crime boss but now, instead of being punished for his alleged crimes, Ivan fears that the one woman he can't forget is in danger of paying the price.

Crimsyn "Syn" Delaney thought the danger she'd faced was over, and that she could resume her life. She never imagined it would return with a vengeance and throw her back into Ivan's world. But when an attempt is made on her life, she needs Ivan more than ever to keep her safe--even if she is in danger of falling deeply and dangerously in love. . .

Review:
This is the second book in the Brute Force series and leaves off where the last book ended. Now, this does not mean you will be lost if you read these out of order. Of course, this like the other series is full of action, romance and suspense. The story is full of Ms. Leigh's sexy writing and style. Ivan and Syn/Journey as May/ December lovers who fighting to keep Syn alive. I enjoyed reading about them and how they worked through the age difference, their secrets and everyone trying to get in the way of their HEA. Full of action, suspense, romance and a few surprises to appeal to all readers.

If you enjoy reading romantic suspense or other Lora Leigh stories, you should pick this one up.

4Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

I got lucky and got to read book two in the Brute Force series that Lora Leigh started this year.  This was a spin off of another series of hers, so with the first book Collision Point I was a little lost, but this second one clarified a lot of things I didn't have history on from book one and continued the story with enough detail that I can't wait for the next book.  Hopefully that will be Beauregard Grant's tale.  I'm just guessing on that as I couldn't find any info on the next edition.

So Dagger's Edge starts at a scene that Collision Point left off of and at first I was a little confused, but then when Amara's name was mentioned it all came into focus for me.  So this is Amara's father's story of love.  We don't really get introduced to Journey's family in the first book, so this one fills in more of the details of the Brute Force family and enemies than book one did.  Also, you have to consider that Ivan is only 11 years Journey's senior.  So I'm giving a spoiler because you realize Amara and Journey are nearly the same age early on and if you don't know this part, you may get the creeps.  Amara was conceived by Ivan at the tender age of 13.  Crazy Russian family is all I'm going to say, but I think that detail needs to be clarified now rather than the halfway point it is, so don't freak out.

Beyond that, it is a traditional Lora Leigh erotic romance with suspense thrown in and the bullets keep flying.  Book one was only a 3 of 5, but this one has upped the quotient and is getting a 4 of 5 from me.  I think because I understand more of the story now and I'm getting used to her erotic style of writing.  Which I will say is very good in the book and suits the circumstances and situations perfectly.  I do love a sound proof room.  If you read it, you'll get that reference.  I'm not giving any more spoilers on this one.  Lora, can't wait for the next installment.  Please let us know soon who's story it will be.  I just want to know I'm right...